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Tunnel, depressed highway not recommended for I-81, NY DOT says

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Because of the Interstate 81 construction project, traffic was congested at the Almond Street on ramp in downtown Syracuse during rush hour on Monday August 12, 2013. This week, state transportation officials will discuss the latest recommendations for the project.
(Stephen D. Cannerelli | scannerelli@syracuse.com)

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- An underground tunnel or depressed highway are not reasonable options for the future of Interstate 81 in Syracuse, a draft report from the New York State Department of Transportation shows.

Instead, state officials want to focus on six variations of a new viaduct or street-level replacement for the aging highway that runs between downtown Syracuse and University Hill.

The state's recommendations are not final, DOT spokesman Beau Duffy said this morning.

They are part of a draft report that the public can officially comment on starting Thursday through Sept. 2.

After that, state and federal transportation officials will finalize which alternatives will move forward for further study. It's possible, Duffy said, that the final list could include some of the alternatives not recommended in this draft report.

Still, the new findings from the state DOT send a significant message to anyone hoping a tunnel or depressed highway could serve as the solution for the elevated portion of I-81 that runs near downtown. The recommendations mirror those from last year, when state officials said in a preliminary report that a boulevard or viaduct were the leading options.

In this latest report, the state also recommends eliminating as options a double-decker viaduct or moving the highway to the West Street corridor.

The state cites expenses and construction challenges as barriers for building a tunnel. The underground and depressed highway options also would close down too many local streets, the report says. That would contradict one of the projects main goals, to improve the area around the highway for motorists, pedestrians and businesses, the report says.

If the recommendations hold, that would leave six options for further study. Half involve a new viaduct and the other half options for a street-level solution. A seventh option is technically being considered. Federal law requires that DOT consider a "no-build" alternative as a benchmark against which to measure the other options.

Rebuilding the viaduct
These three options are very similar, calling for a new I-81 exit around Burt Street, a consolidation of I-81 exits at the current Salina-Clinton-Franklin-West streets exchange, an expanded Exit 18 at Adams and Harrison streets, and improvements to I-690 at the Teall Avenue and West Street exits.

One of the main differences in the three plans is how straight I-81 would become. Option No. 2 would straighten the highway most significantly, a move that would mean the highway could meet all federal highway standards but shift the current highway's footprint. Option No. 4 leaves the most curves in, therefore meeting fewer standards. Improving the safety on the highway is another major goal of the project. (Just a note: the state did not recommend option No. 1 and No. 5 for the viaduct; that's why the list starts with No. 2.)

Option No. 2 (V-2)

This version would bring the elevated highway up to current highway standards. It would rebuild I-81 between Martin Luther King Jr. Street and Spencer Street.

It would be 82 feet wide, about 16 feet wider than the existing viaduct. It could be as much as 10 feet taller. The highway would have two lanes in each direction with a posted speed limit of 55 mph.

Monroe and Madison streets would become dead-end streets. Access to Almond Street would remain at other intersections.

The plan would eliminate about 30 to 40 buildings and cost an estimated $1.438 billion.

Option No. 3 (V-3)

This plan would meet most, but not all, of the federal highway safety standards. It would have the same general dimensions as V-2.

It would leave seven curves in place, between East Genesee and Butternut streets.

The posted speed limit would be 55 mph.

Monroe and Madison streets would become dead-end streets. Access to Almond Street would remain at other intersections.

The plan would require razing about 25 percent fewer buildings than V-2 and cost an estimated $1.423 billion.

Option No. 4 (V-4)

This plan would meet most, but not all, of the federal highway safety standards. It would have the same general dimensions as V-2.

It would leave seven curves in place (as in the V-3 plan) between East Genesee and Butternut streets. Some of the curves would be more prominent than in the third viaduct option.

The posted speed limit would be 55 mph, though warning signs would encourage motorists to go 50 mph.

Monroe and Madison streets would become dead-end streets. Access to Almond Street would remain at other intersections.

The plan would require tearing down about 40 percent fewer buildings than V-2 and cost an estimated $1.419 billion.

A street-level replacement
These three options would use Interstate 481 to reroute highway traffic around the eastern side of Syracuse. I-481 would become a new part of I-81 and be widened in some places. The current viaduct would come down and be replaced by a boulevard or a reconstructed Almond Street. Like with the viaduct options, there would be a new I-81 interchange around Burt Street, a consolidation of I-81's Exits 19 and 20, and improvements to I-690 exits near downtown. All three street-level options would meet federal highway safety standards. All three would require the acquisition about 5 to 10 buildings.

Option No. 1 (SL-1)

The current highway would become a new, two-way boulevard (replacing the current Almond Street) between Martin Luther King Jr. and Monroe streets.

The new street would be three lanes in each direction and could include curbside parking and bicycle lanes and wider sidewalks.

The street would transition back to a highway section north of Washington Street, either connecting to I-690 around Erie Boulevard East or the current I-81 viaduct around Townsend Street.

The new street would replace Almond Street.

It would close parts of Water, Jackson and McBride streets and require an overpass over Erie Boulevard East.

The plan would cost an estimated $1.047 billion.

A main difference between the first street-level option and the next two involves rebuilding the existing Almond Street and designating another north-south street for current highway traffic, rather than constructing the new boulevard.

Option No. 2 (SL-2)

This option would make Almond Street one-way for northbound traffic.

Another side street would be reconstructed to carry southbound traffic.

The state notes that this might not work: "It is possible that some options for the southbound local street or streets (e.g., Townsend Street, State Street, Clinton Street, West Street, or University Avenue) would be dismissed because they fail to result in reasonable traffic operations."

This option would require closing Jackson Street.

It would cost an estimated $1.067 billion.

Option No. 3 (SL-3)

This option is similar to SL-2, in that the plan would rely on both Almond Street and an existing (and rebuilt) side street to handle the traffic.

The difference is that this plan would allow two-way traffic on both the new Almond Street and the side street.

The report again mentions that this plan might not adequately meet traffic needs. That will be decided in the next and final scoping report, which will include more detailed traffic studies.